Ben Shelton says what happened at the Canadian Open which excited him even more than winning the title

Ben Shelton has found form at the perfect time on the ATP Tour, winning the Canadian Open ahead of the US Open.

Shelton celebrated his Canadian Open success on social media shortly after his super run, which resulted in his first ATP Masters 1000 title.

The American, who was the fourth seed in Toronto, defeated Karen Khachanov 6-7(5-7), 6-4, 7-6(7-3) in the Canadian Open final.

Shelton has improved his ‘tennis IQ’ in recent times, with his latest success propelling him to sixth in the ATP rankings.

But he has little time to celebrate his Canadian Open victory as Shelton now turns his focus to the Cincinnati Open.

Photo by Mert Alper Dervis/Anadolu via Getty Images

What really excited Ben Shelton about his Canadian Open title

The 22-year-old takes on Camilo Ugo Carabelli in the second round, having received a bye in round one of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament.

But he was tasked with discussing his behind-the-scenes celebrations after Toronto upon his arrival in Cincinnati, about which he said: “I mean, it was cool. It was nothing crazy to be honest.

READ MORE: Ben Shelton hailed as a ‘class act’ for what he did midway through the Canadian Open final against Karen Khachanov

“For me, you know, I’m very goal-oriented, but also process-oriented. And what I was most happy about was my play throughout the week and the areas that I saw improvements, the little things.

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“That’s what made me the most excited. So I mean, to get a title like that, I’m happy, and I’m happy with being able to do it with my people.

“But I was kind of more excited about the way that I was playing, so that was the coolest part for me, and we enjoyed it 100%, but there weren’t any crazy celebrations. It’s a pretty quick turnaround.”

Ben Shelton says what he really thinks of the Cincinnati Open

Shelton clinched his first title of the year in Toronto, and now has one win in each of his last three seasons.

It follows successes in Tokyo in 2023 and Houston in 2024, while the American is now into a career-high ranking.

READ MORE: Andy Roddick has noticed two major improvements Ben Shelton has made after he wins in Canada

But the ruthless calendar continues this week, with Shelton already looking for more success in Cincinnati.

He said of his current schedule: “I flew here in the morning yesterday, practiced here yesterday afternoon, trying to get used to the heat again.

“It wasn’t that hot up in Toronto. I was playing a lot of night matches, so try to re-acclimatize. I enjoyed it, I am enjoying it. It was a great week for me, a lot of fun up there.

“But this is one of my favorite tournaments here in Cincinnati, one that I always want to do really well at. I had my first breakout wins here, and so my focus has definitely shifted pretty quick.

“Especially playing two days later, I play tomorrow. My focus has shifted pretty quick to the next tournament.”

As he did in Toronto, Shelton is playing doubles at the Cincinnati Open, where he will link up with Gabriel Diallo.

The Canadian Open champion just played in that format with Arthur Fils, but decided to withdraw ahead of their quarter-final match.

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